Characteristics of participants at baseline (n=75)
| Mean (range) or % (n/N) | |
| Age (years) | 21 (16–30) |
| Height (cm) | 183.6 (170.6–202.3) |
| Weight (kg) | 83.6 (67.0–109.4) |
| Years played AFL | 11 (1–21) |
| Leg strength (kg) | 187 (25–280) |
| Dominant kicking foot, right | 84% (53/63) |
| Previous knee injury (right or left) | 52% (39/75) |
| Right | 36% (27/75) |
| Left | 34% (25/74) |
| Previous knee surgery (right or left) | 9% (7/75) |
| Right | 9% (7/75) |
| Left | 3% (2/74) |
| VAS pain*, (right and left) | 17 (1–86) |
| Right | 14 (1–73) |
| Left | 20 (1–86) |
| KOOS total*, (right and left) | 17 (1–113) |
| Right | 15 (1–107) |
| Left | 18 (1–113) |
| MRI prevalence data | |
| Bone marrow lesions (right or left knee) | 67% (39/58) |
| Right knee | 59% (34/58) |
| Left knee | 47% (27/58) |
| Meniscal tear (right or left knee) | 14% (8/58) |
| Right knee | 12% (7/58) |
| Left knee | 3% (2/58) |
| Meniscal extrusion (right or left knee) | 2% (1/58) |
| Right knee | 2% (1/58) |
| Left knee | 0% (0/58) |
| Cartilage defects (right or left knee)† | 43% (25/58) |
| Right knee | 28% (16/58) |
| Left knee | 33% (19/58) |
| Suprapatellar effusion synovitis (right or left knee)† | 67% (39/58) |
| Right knee | 52% (30/58) |
| Left knee | 50% (29/58) |
*Summarised for those with VAS or KOOS scores>0.
†Defined as grade 2 or greater.
KOOS, Knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score; n, total in sample; n, number with characteristic; VAS, visual analogue scale.